


The Forth Bridge

by Quanna



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Shippy if you Squint, Telepathy, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22542715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quanna/pseuds/Quanna
Summary: For the prompt: "Painting the house that ends up in paint fights and giggles"Spoiler: I made it sad.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor & The Doctor's TARDIS, Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan, Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	The Forth Bridge

**Author's Note:**

> Saw this prompt list going round, picked a random number, and wrote something in 20 minutes lmao. May do some more if inspiration strikes.

For all her considerable knowledge, talent, and skills, the Doctor has no idea how to approach this one. 

Yaz is pacing up and down behind her, a video of some enthusiastic builder playing on her phone. 

"SuperBuildz105 says it's not that difficult," she mutters, holding up the screen for the Doctor to see. The man otherwise known as SuperBuildz is holding a paint roller not unlike the ones at the Doctor's feet. He seems to get the paint from the can into the tray and onto the wall with little effort, explaining the process in a thick Scottish accent. 

The Doctor smiles. "better get a shift on then." 

Yaz rolls her eyes, crouches down next to the cans of paint, and rewinds the tutorial. 

She copies the video and the Doctor watches with interest. 

"I can't believe you've never done this before," Yaz says as she hands the Doctor a roller. 

"My house sort of tends to paint itself," the Doctor mutters, starting in the farthest corner she can reach. "The outside included. She'd have my head if I tried anything like this."

Yaz laughs. It echoes slightly through the as-yet empty room, and the Doctor pauses for a moment to really focus on it. It's difficult to tell with the primitive paint chemicals assaulting her brain, but she thinks she hears the TARDIS join in from the empty kitchen next door. She sends a silent thank you to her ship for being here with her. She dare not look ahead, but all the tell-tale signs are there. Time streams flowing away from each other makes her pinkies itch, and it's racked up to near-unbearable since she landed in Yaz' brand new flat this morning.

"Are you scared?" She asks, because getting sad about things that haven't happened yet is one of the many, many things she's trying not to do this time round. 

"A bit, yeah," Yaz admits, her tone so unconcerned the Doctor can't help but envy her. "'s gonna be weird not living with mum and dad anymore. Think I'm even gonna miss Sonya. Don't tell her I said that though." She laughs again, and the Doctor feels Time tick along a little further. 

"But I'm excited too, you know? My own place, being able to have mates round whenever I want, eat whatever I want- it's gonna be really nice."

The Doctor nods at the wall, taking stock of her work. Could be neater, but not a total disaster, all things considered. 

"Are  _ you _ scared?"

Brilliant, clever, abhorrently perceptive Yaz, always asking the questions she really doesn't want to answer. 

"I'm not the one moving out," the Doctor tries,knowing full well it's a wasted effort. 

"No," Yaz replies, in a tone of voice that makes it clear her deflection is not gonna fly, "but you are the one losing a housemate. Of sorts. Not that I'm claiming any ownership over the TARDIS-" 

The Doctor really does laugh at that, her ship tickling knowingly at the back of her head. 

"She's gonna miss you just as much as I will," she says, surprised by her own honesty. Must be the sheer mundaneness of the situation catching up with her. 

"Doctor-"

"The stars won't be as bright without you there," she says, and dunks her roller into the paint can again. She hates it when her mouth runs off like that. 

Yaz is by her side in an instant, one hand on her shirt sleeve. The Doctor drops the roller in the can and curls her fingers around Yaz's wrist, anchoring herself with the steady, solitary beat of the human heart.

"It's gonna be okay," Yaz says, her familiar blend of kindness, defiance, and conviction loud against the Doctor's fingertips. The Doctor nods, too occupied with Yaz'  _ Yazness  _ to vocalise a sentence. Oh how she  _ hates _ endings. 

"Hug?" Yaz asks softly, trying to catch her eye. 

The Doctor pulls Yaz close in answer. The pressure of her friends arms at her back clear some of the feelings fog from her head and she relaxes into the embrace, muttering a quiet 'thank you'. 

"Anytime, Doctor," Yaz chuckles, then pulls back a bit to look at her. "I mean it. Any. Time. Every sense of the word." 

The Doctor hides her face in Yaz' shoulder. 

  
  


When it dries a while later, the wall is almost the exact right shade of blue.


End file.
